Transcript Social Media Community Management

Social Media Community
Management: Implications for the
Business Communication Curriculum
Barbara J. D’Angelo, Ph.D.
Arizona State University
Association for Business Communication
Annual Convention
October 2010
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
The Prevalence of Social Media (SM)
• 91% of Inc. 500 companies used at least 1 SM
tool in 2009 (Barnes & Mattson, 2009)
▫ increase from 79% in 2008
▫ 48% used SM to recruit and evaluate cnadidates
• 79% of Global 100 companies use SM (BursonMarsteller, 2010)
• 24% of small businesses use SM (Social Media,
2010)
▫ increase from 12%
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
SM in the Business Comm Classroom
• What skills do students need to use SM in the
workplace?
• How do we adapt our classrooms?
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
SM Community Managers Ads Analyzed
• 28 ads representing
▫ 28 different companies
 for- and non-profit
 small, mid and large
▫ geographically diverse (U.S. only)
▫ positions requiring less than 2 yrs experience
• Job responsibilities and functions
• Skills and abilities required and/or expected
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Job Functions: Management
Function
# of ads
Qualification
# of ads
Strategic planning
18
Organizational
10
Internal collaboration
17
11
Integration with
brand/mission
11
SM
Understanding/knowledge
Detail-oriented
9
External collaboration
9
Meet deadlines
9
Training
6
8
Supervision
2
Selfmotivating/independent
Multi-tasking
7
Leadership
5
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Job Functions: Research & Analysis
Function
# of ads
Metrics/SEO
(reporting/accountability)
15
Research content
(external)
7
External conversation
about brand/service
5
Own product/service
2
Competition
1
Qualification
# of ads
Research
9
Analytical (analysis,
critical thinking, problem
solving)
7
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Job Functions: Content Development
Function
# of ads
Qualification
# of ads
Write/post content
14
Written communication
22
Edit content
9
16
Write external content
8
SM specific tool
knowledge
Maintain consistency
8
Oral communication
15
Create media
3
Subject knowledge
9
Synthesize information
2
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Job Functions: Community Management
Function
# of ads
Engage/participate user
discussions
13
Respond to users
Qualification
# of ads
Team work/collaborative
14
SM passion
7
10
Listening
1
Recruit/retain users
7
Event planning
1
Coordinate/plan/hold
events
7
Develop/monitor/enforc
e guidelines
2
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Job Functions: Technical
Function
# of ads
Administer software
(backend)
3
Manage user interface
2
Administer user accounts
1
Qualification
# of ads
Computer/programspecific skills (Excel,
Word)
12
HTML/CSS
5
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
2008 Survey of 505 Instructors (Russ 2009)
Topics covered most
Assignments most required
• good news/bad news messages
• formatting
• grammar and sentence
structure
• public speaking
(presentations, visual aids)
• persuasion
• ethics
• e-mail
• resumes/cover letters
•
•
•
•
correspondence
reports/papers
presentations
quizzes/exams
Topics covered least
• communication theory
• negotiation
• mediated communication
(other than email)
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Implications for bus comm pedagogy
• More communication theory?
▫ SM as tools to communicate and interact
• Shift genres taught (traditional or mediated)?
• Adapt research methods taught?
▫ traditional academic vs. analytics/metrics
▫ analysis, statistics
• More emphasis on project management?
▫ planning
▫ organization
▫ coordination
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Implications for bus. comm. pedagogy
• More emphasis on collaboration?
▫ more group projects and teamwork
▫ more facilitation
• More(?) collaboration with marketing?
▫ branding (and ethos)
▫ business communication can’t do it all
▫ or is there already too much emphasis on
marketing?
• How to balance between fundamental
communication and SM?
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Review of past-present-future
“As teachers of business communication, we must
learn how to teach in this changing
communication environment, in which the basic
communication process and underlying
communication process remain constant but
individuals are communicating via cell phones
videoconferences, and so on, rather thann…and
in addition to…via letters, memos, and face-toface meetings.”
Du-Babcock, 2006
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D'Angelo, ABC Convention, October 2010
Questions?